Nov. 18, 2008 issue
Seven to receive Alumni Award recognition

By Ron Podell

• Ravi Joshi, Vinod Kakde, Senthilkamur Rengasamy and Nikhil Tambe
• Paul Kuwik and Gerald "Skip" Lawver
• Ron Podell
• James DeGrand and Ann Shannon
• Jill Wolosiansky
• EMU soccer team

 

 

Three Eastern Michigan University graduate students and one doctoral candidate in EMU's Polymers and Coatings Technology program were recently honored at the "FutureCoat 2008" Conference, hosted by the Federation of Societies for Coatings Technology in Chicago Oct. 14-16.

TECHNOLOGY TITAN: Ravi Joshi, a doctoral candidate in technology at EMU, wrote papers that won first and second place at the recent "FutureCoat 2008" Conference.

Ravi Joshi, a doctoral candidate in technology, wrote papers that won first and second place in the John A. Gordon Best Paper Award competition. The award is given for outstanding new and original scientific content, and for presentation effectiveness.

Joshi took first place with his paper, "Nanoparticle Size Acrylic Latex Blends: The Influence of Crosslinking, Particle Size and Distribution on Film Formation, Properties and Morphology." His second-place paper is entitled, "Evaluating Fouling Resistance and Fouling Release Performance of Smart Polyurethane Surfaces: An Outlook for Efficient and Environmentally Benign Marine Coatings."

WRITING RESEARCH: Vinod Kakde, a graduate student, was recently awarded the Alfred L. Hendry Best Student Paper Award at the "FutureCoat" 2008 Conference. He co-authored the paper with Vijay Mannari, an EMU professor of coatings research.

Vinod Kakde, a graduate student, was awarded the Alfred L. Hendry Best Student Paper Award for his research paper, "Advanced Chrome-Free Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Pretreatments for Aerospace Aluminum Alloy 2024-T3 Application of Novel Bis-ureasil Precursors." Kakde co-authored the paper with Vijay Mannari, an EMU professor of coatings research.

This work was part of the research program sponsored by the U.S. Air Force. The award also included $1,000 cash for Kakde and $500 for Mannari's lab.

Senthilkumar Rengasamy, a graduate student, finished second in the Poster Award competition with his poster, "Novel Bio-based Polyols for Sustainable Coating Applications." Rengasamy presented research findings of his work on the development of novel, value-added materials that form soybean oil for applications in environmentally friendly coatings.

Nikhil Tambe, a graduate student, also placed with a poster, finishing third. Tambe presented a poster entitled, "Superprimers from Nanolatexes of Reactive Ionic Liquid Surfactant Copolymers."

Paul Kuwik and Gerald "Skip" Lawver, of Eastern Michigan University's Center for Regional and National Security and the School of Technology Studies, recently were awarded four Michigan Department of State Police Awards.

Kuwik's awards, totaling $138,883, focus on two projects for broad-span police management training, while Lawver's two awards of $56,846 continue training law enforcement personnel in computer forensics and cyber-crime investigation.

Lawver

"One of my two grants provides training in problem analysis, management situations; project, fiscal and personnel management; and homeland security for 45 officers from throughout Michigan," Kuwik said. "The grant supports a staff and command school here on EMU's campus."

The second grant involves senior officers from the City of Detroit.

"The class in computer skills meets on our campus but, to save time and money, the remaining classes are held nearer the officers' places of employment," Kuwik said.

Lawver said his two grant awards are for training law enforcement personnel in EMU's Schools of Computer Forensics and Cyber Crime. Law enforcement officers and forensic computer scientists need training and certification to carry out their roles when investigating electronic crimes, collecting and examining evidence, and providing courtroom testimony.

"One grant supports a project to prepare students to forensically examine a seized electronic data storage device," Lawver said. "The second grant provides training specifically in cyber-crime investigation. It prepares those who deliver criminal justice services to victims of identity theft, fraud, hacking, internet child pornography and similar areas."

TERROR-IBLE TIME: Ron Podell poses with Princess Horror at the recent Terror Film Festival in Philadelphia. Podell placed third in the short script category.

Ron Podell, assistant manager, news services, in the Office of Marketing and Communications recently garnered a third place with his screenplay, "Silence of the Bees," in the short script category at the Terror Film Festival in Philadelphia, Pa., Oct. 21-25. "Silence of the Bees" and two of his other short scripts, "Time and Tide," and "A Rain Remembered" were recently named finalists in the Queens International Film Festival, which took place in Queens, N.Y., Nov. 6-9.

Two Eastern Michigan alumni recently won awards from the Michigan Marketing Educators Association (MME). Jamie DeGrand, a marketing educator at Plymouth-Canton High School, was awarded the Dr. Jack T. Humbert New Professional of the Year Award. The award annually recognizes an educator who manages an outstanding marketing education program. DeGrand, a Saline graduate, received her bachelor's degree in marketing education from EMU in 2004.

Ann Shannon, a marketing educator at Lincoln Park High School, is the recipient of this year's Dr. Louis R. Graziano Outstanding Marketing Educator Award. This award annually recognizes an educator who manages an outstanding marketing education program. Shannon received her master's degree from EMU in 1996.

Jill Wolosiansky, a senior outside hitter on Eastern Michigan University's volleyball team, has been selected to the 2008 ESPN The Magazine volleyball Academic All-District IV first team, the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) recently announced. Wolosiansky will now go on the national ballot for Academic All-America recognition.

HEAVY HITTER: Jill Wolosiansky, a senior on Eastern Michigan University's volleyball team, was recently named to the 2008 ESPN The Magazine Volleyball Academic All-District IV First Team. She has a perfect 4.0 GPA as a public administration major.

Wolosiansky, of Uniontown, Ohio, becomes just the second EMU volleyball player to earn Academic All-District honors twice in a career. The only other Eagle spiker to do so was Sara Schaub, who boasted first-team selections during the 1998 and 2000 campaigns. Last season, Wolosiansky earned second-team Academic All-District accolades, while teammate Kate Sulewski garnered third-team honors.

A public administration major with a perfect 4.0 GPA, Wolosiansky has played in all of the team's 105 sets this season. Wolosiansky is on pace to surpass her career highs in nearly every statistical category this season, racking up 226 kills, 221 digs, 70 total blocks, 60 set assists, 17 service aces and a .179 attack percentage (as of Nov. 6). Her 226 total kills are the third most on the squad, while her 60 assists are the second most on the team.

The Eastern Michigan University soccer team placed five players on All-Mid-American Conference squads. Senior Katie Zundel (Utica, Mich.) was a first-team selection for the second consecutive year, while junior Katie Lozar (Broadview Heights, Ohio) was named to the first team for the first time in her career.

The Eagles also had three freshmen garner All-Freshman honors. Vanessa Atanasoski (Sterling Heights, Mich.), Chelsea Detrick (Grosse Pointe, Mich.) and Julie Kaim (Palos Hills, Ill.) were all selected to the team.

MAC MAGIC: Katie Zundel, a senior on Eastern Michigan University's soccer team, was named to the All-Mid-American Conference team for the second consecutive year.

Zundel started every game this season, scoring a career-best 10 points with four goals and two assists. The senior defender scored game-winning goals against Miami (Sept. 26) and Ohio (Oct. 26), giving her three for her career. Zundel was a mainstay for the Eagle defense, allowing opponents to only score 19 goals this season, including blanking their opponents nine times.

Lozar earned the first MAC honors of her career after starting all 21 games in the midfield for EMU. The junior scored six goals on the year, including three game-winners. Her three game-winning goals tied her for fourth in the MAC. An offensive threat all over the field, she only had four games where she failed to take a shot.

Atanasoski was a starter in 18 of 21 matches played this season, recording eight points. She scored two goals this season, both game-winners, coming against Bowling Green (Oct. 19) and in the MAC Tournament against Northern Illinois (Nov. 2). She also notched four assists on the season, including two against Florida Atlantic (Sept. 14).

Detrick played in all 21 games, but never appeared as a starter. Despite that, she led the conference in goals (11) and points (24). She was the only conference player to hit double digits in goals scored this season. Detrick was named MAC Player of the Week following the Eagles' road swing through Indiana, helping EMU defeat Indiana State (Sept. 19) and IUPUI (Sept. 21) by scoring two goals in both contests.

Kaim played alongside Zundel on the back line of the Eagle defense, starting every contest for the Eagles. She scored one goal this season, finding the back of the net in a 3-0 win at Akron (Oct. 24).